Breath Holding Spells
Definition
Breath holding spells are episodes of brief, involuntary cessations of breathing that occur in children in response to stimuli such as anger, frustration, fear, or injury.
Description
A breath holding spell (BHS) is a reflexive response that occurs in some healthy young children, usually between the ages of about eight months and two years. A typical breath holding spell lasts between two and 20 seconds. The child cries or gasps, forcibly exhales, stops breathing, and turns either blue (cyanotic form) or pale (pallid form). In a simple BHS the child may faint or briefly lose consciousness. If the child recovers before fainting, some physicians do not consider it to be a true breath holding spell. In a severe...
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